Fuel-supply apparatus on internal-combustion engines



July 13 1926.

` E. W. RUSSEL FUEL SUPPLY APPARATUS ON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES July 13 19.26.

E. W. RUSSEL FUEL SUPPLY APPARATUS ON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed July i4, 1921 5 sheets-sheet 2 July 13 1926.

E. W. RUSSEL FUEL SUPPLY APPARATUS ON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed July 14 1921 3 Sheets-'Sheet :5

e. m m w Patented July 13, 1926.

UNITED STATES l 1,592,047 PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN W. RUSSEL, 0F AYLESBURY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES HARRY SENIOR,

OF AYLESBURY, ENGLAND.

FUEL-SUPPLY APPARATUS 0N INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application led July 14, 1921, Serial No. 484,752, and in Great Britain November 29, 1920.

This invention relates to fuel supply apparatus for internal combustion engines adapte-d to supply eitherof two fuels, for instance gasoline and paraffin/for the purpose of lessening the cost of running the engine by the use in part of the cheaper and less volatile fuel.

The object of the invention is not merely to enable the use of one or other of two fuels at will, but so far as possible to ensure the use of the cheaper fuel at appropriate times, while permitting such freedom of control to the driver as may be necessary to cope with exceptional conditions.

To this end there is combined with two carburettors connected by channels with the induction pipe of the engine a control device which varies simultaneously and oppositely the areas of the respective channels, and this control device is connected with the throttle valve of the engine, so that the driver on opening up the throttle will ordinarily also effect an appropriate change .in the fuel in the sense of drawing to an 1n,-

k:se

creasing extent upon the cheaper and less volatile fuel, and to a decreasing extent upon the relatively costly gasoline.

It is a feature of the invention that the connection between the fuel control device and the engine throttle is a yielding connection. As a consequence of this the maximum adjustment of fuel, for instance complete change-over from gasoline to paraliin, may be effected short of full throttle opening.

A preferred embodiment of the fuel control device comprises a pipe having connections to the carburettors and between these connections a single connection to the engine, in combination with a piston movable in said pipe and connected with the throttle valve so that the two move together, the connection being adjustable, in order that the setting of the fuel control device for a given setting of the throttle valve may be such as is found to give the best results.

Inasmuch as the variations of fuel composition that are appropriate to the changes of throttleA opening occurring in ordinary speed control during normal running, are not, or may not be, appropriate to the same changes of throttle opening during starting of the engine fro-m cold, or in other special conditions, it is desirable, and it is a feature of theI invention, to enable the driver to interfere with the normal action of the control device on such special occasions. To this end an adjustable stop is provided under the control of the driver, which he can introduce into the path of the moving portion of the fuel control device so as to limit its action, the yielding connection to the throttle vnevertheless permitting movement of the throttle to its full extent.

As the use of two different kinds of fuel complicates the problem of properly adjusting the composition of the mixture t0 the conditions under which the engine is running, the invention further contemplates an improved arrangement of throttlevalve in the induction pipe of the engine in such manner as to control both the mixtures sup-- plied and also t-he extra air admitted; and

that the composition o-f the mixture may at all times be adjusted to what is found best, the invention provides means for readily determining the extent of opening to fuel admission which shall result from every setting of the throttle; and it also provides means for adjusting the extra air supply or substituting a diluent less rich in oxygen.

Further features of the invention will appear from the embodiments hereinafter described in detail, and are defined in the appended claims.

The invention is illustrated, largely in diagrammatic form, in the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic showing of the means for ensuring complete vaporiza.- tion, as well as of certain means for con,- trolling the composition of the fuel mixture.

Figure 2 shows the combination of two carburettors with means for varying the supply taken from each according to the condition of the engine.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is anenlarged detail of Figure 1.

Figure 5 shows a modification of the construction of Figure 2, and

Figure 6 an alternative construction for the same purpose.

In Figure l an appropriate mixture of fuel and air formed in carburetting apparatus l, 2, hereinafter described with respect to Figure 2, is admitted to a pipe 3. Preferably only so much air is admitted as is needed to carry over the requisite quantit of fuel. Pipe '3 is in part of its length brought into thermal conductive relation.

with the exhaust gases of the engine, for instance, by being disposed in proximlty to the exhaust pipe. In the construction shown a part of pipe 3 is carried through an enlarged part 4 of the exhaust pipe. That the heat exchange between the fuel gases and the exhaust gases may be the more complete, suitable baies may be provided which ensure every part of the ases sweeping the wall through which the eat exchange occurs. For example, pipe 3, where it passes through the enlarged exhaust pipe, is shownas fitted with a number of cro bars 5, which deiiect the fuel gis-.ses in the middle ofthe pi e outwards against the wall of the pipe.

Lihe carburetting apparatus of the invention includes two carburettors supplied from two different reservoirs, one containing, say, gasoline and the other, say, paraf- The parts 1, 2, of Figure l may be taken as the fioat feed chambers of two such carburettors cf which the jets 6,7, are shown in Figure 2. These jets deliver into a common tube 8, which has a connection 9 to the fuel supply pipe 3 located between the two connections to the respective carburettors. In tube 8 is a piston 10 which is a sliding fit in the tube and is adapted to move across the mouth of the connection 9. The piston is secured on a iston md 11 carrylng stops 12 which by t eir abutment on the closed ends of the tube limit the movement of the piston. Outside the tube 8 a spring 13 surrounds the rod 11 and being compressed between the end of the tube and a cap 14 on the rod, presses the rod and therefore the piston towards an initial position in which the right hand stop 12 abuts upon the end of the tube 8. In this position the piston 10 cuts off the fuel supply connection 9 from the paraihn Carburettor jet 7, so that the whcie fuel supply is taken from the gasoline Carburettor. In the position of the piston shown the sup ly is drawn substantially equally from t e two carburettors; while by further movement to the left the piston can wholly cut off the gasoline sup,- ply when the engine is in a condition to run on parailin alone.

Fi ure 2 shows how the piston is adjusted simu taneously with the throttle valve. Loose upon the spindle 15 of the throttle valve there is a cam 16 having a projecting crank arm 17. The spindle 15 bears also a cross-pin 18 which is joined by a spring 19 to the cam. As the throttle is opened by means of the crank arm 20 and inextensible wire 21 or other usual means the crank arm 18 bears upon the cap 14, and forces the piston towards the left against the action of the spring 13. When the piston reaches its extreme left-hand position further movement of the thrott e. merely extends the spring 19.

To achieve the best resu1ts,- means are provided to adjust the ition of the is ton for any given position of the throttle.' As illustrated, the crank arm 18 has an adjustable extension 22 which forms the effective bearing surface of the crank upon the cap 14.

Upon freshly starting the engine, that is when it is cold, it may not be desirable to change wholly from gasoline to arain until the engine has warmed up. Iper this reason a lever 23 is fitted, the end of which is in line with the path of the left-hand end of piston rod 11. The lever is controlled, say, from the dash-board of the car, for instance, by an inextensible cord 24. If the driver wishes to continue running on gasoline, or partly on gasoline, even when his throttle is wide open, he sets the lever 23 in the path of the piston rod so as to arrest its movement at the desired stage, and lets it withdraw under the action of its ring when the e 'ne is sufficiently hot for satisfactory runnmg on paraffin.

It is preferred that'the throttle shall control both the supply of combustible mixture to the engine and aiso the. supply ofextra air. For this purpose the t rottie 29 of Fi re 1 is shown located in a pipe 30 div ed by a lon 'tudinal partition 31, the axis of the throttle ing in the plane of the partition. The fuel supply pipe makes connection with one half of the pipe 30, while the other half is partially open to the atmosphere, the degree of opening being adjustable by a shutter 32. Preferably this shutter is hinged and pipe 30 is so placed that the shutter is closed when hangin substantially vertically downward. When t e. en ine suction is sufficient the shutter is'pul ed open by it to admit extra air; but if the engine speed drops the shutter closes so that the mixture is enriched in readiness for acceleration. Opposite the throttle valve 29 is a sleeve 33 making a slidin fit in pipe 30 and offering an hour-glass s aped channel for the passage of the gases. rlhis sleeve is adjustable towards or from the throttle and is fastened in position by screw 34, which moves in a slot in pipe 30. The sleeve may also be entirely removed and replaced by another of dierent interior shape. Preferably, as is seen in FiV re 4, the form of the sleeve next the throtteudiifers little from the surface swept out by the edge of the throttle valve, so that a considerable movement of the throttle corresponds to a comparatively small change in the area of openmg to the mixture, thou h the extra air admisslon may be consideraby increased.

Opposite the edge of the throttle valve when in its closed osition a recess 35 is formed in the wall of) the pipe 30, which can be filled more or less by the screw 36. This provides a by-pass of adjustable dimensions for the passage of mixture when the throttle is in extreme position. A screw 37 may be employed to obstruct to a variable extent the path for the extra air. If this is used, the sleeve 33 must be slotted as indicated at 38. The oxygen content of the extra gas drawn in through the extra air passage may be reduced without reducing the volume of the gas, and with a gain in temperature, by connecting the exhaust pipe of the engine to the extra air conduit as shown at 39 (Figure l), and providing a butterfly valve 40 in the connection. The valve may be connected with the throttle by means not shown so as to be opened and closed with the throttle.

As a means of priming or flooding when the engine is to be started it is convenient to provide a connection from -the asoline-carburettor 1 to the pipe 30 as indlcated at 41, controlling the connection by a cock 42.

Figure 5 shows a slight modification of the construction of Figure 2. A crank arm 51 upon a spindle 15 of the throttle serves to move piston 10 into position to close the paraiiin passage against the action of a spring 52; while the spring opens the paraff n passage and closes the gasoline passagel so far as it is permitted by the opening of the throttle. Y

Instead of a sliding piston as 10, any other means may be adopted for changing over from 'gasoline to paraiin. In Flgure 6 a hinged valve 53 can be rocked to close either the passage from the gasoline carburettor or that from the parain Carburettor. It may be operated by such methods as have been described with reference to the piston 10; for example, a lever 54 upon the valve spindle mayl be connected by an inextensible cord 55 to t e throttle lever.

What I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combinationv of two carburettors, a pipe into which both carburettors deliver, a single outlet ,in said pipe between the connections to the carburettors, a piston Afitting said pipe and movable across saidoutlet, an engine throttle valve, meansconnecting said piston with said throttle valve so that'the two move together, and means for varying-the setting of said piston for a given position o said throttle Valve.

2. In an internal combustion engine the combination of two -carburettors, a tube into which both carburettors deliver, an induction pipe connected to said tube between its connections to said carburettors, 'a piston fitting said tube and movable across the farea o mouth of the connection to the induction pipe, a piston rod secured to said piston, a spring bearing on said piston rod to press the piston` in one direction, a throttle valve in said induction pipe, a crank connected to move with said throttle Valve and having'its end bearing on said piston rod, and means for varying the effective length of said crank.

3'. In an internal combustion engine the combination of two carburettors, an induction pipe, channels connecting respective carburettors with said induction pipe, a throttle valve in said induction pipe, means for varying simultaneously and inversely the areas of the channels from the carburettors, a yielding connection between said means and said throttle valve, and a stop limiting the action of said means.

4:. In an internal combustion engine the combinationY of two carburettors, an induction pipe, channels connecting respective carburettors with` said, induction pipe, control.

means for simultaneously reducing the area of one' 'oit`"said channelsand enlarging that of the' other, a; throttle valve in said induction e,- `a-yieldingconnection between Said contro means, and said vthrottle valve, and an adjustable stop limiting movement of said control 'r 5.'In an internal combustion engine the combination of two carburettors, an induction pipe, a longitudinal partition dividing a part f said pipe, a'throttle valve at the end of said partition having its axis in the plane of'- the partition, channelsconnecting said carburettors with one-.half of said di vided ipe, means vcontrolling `the relative area oA said channels connected-'with said throttle-valve so as to be operated therewith and `means,admitting' air to the other bali of said divided'pipe. l

'6. In an internal combustion engine the combination or two carburettors, an induction pip a longitudinal partition dividing a part o said pipe, a throttle valve at the end of said partition-havingits axis in the plane of the partition, channels connecting said carbnrettors with onehalf of said divided ipe, means controlling the relative said channels connected with said throttle valve so as to be operated therewith means admitting air'to the other half o said' divided pi e and an adjustable sleeve ioshaving a reduce passage through it adjacent to said throttle valve.

' EDWIN W. RUSSEL. 

